• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

Sgian Dubh

Captain
51 Badges
Mar 18, 2004
425
89
  • Stellaris: Distant Stars
  • Cities: Skylines - Natural Disasters
  • Crusader Kings II: Monks and Mystics
  • Stellaris - Path to Destruction bundle
  • Cities: Skylines - Mass Transit
  • BATTLETECH
  • Stellaris: Synthetic Dawn
  • Cities: Skylines - Green Cities
  • Crusader Kings II: Jade Dragon
  • Stellaris: Apocalypse
  • BATTLETECH - Digital Deluxe Edition
  • Cities: Skylines - Parklife Pre-Order
  • Cities: Skylines - Parklife
  • Stellaris: Leviathans Story Pack
  • Cities: Skylines Industries
  • BATTLETECH: Flashpoint
  • Stellaris: Megacorp
  • Crusader Kings II: Holy Fury
  • Prison Architect
  • Cities: Skylines - Campus
  • Stellaris: Ancient Relics
  • BATTLETECH: Season pass
  • BATTLETECH: Heavy Metal
  • Prison Architect: Psych Ward
  • Stellaris: Federations
  • Island Bound
  • Victoria: Revolutions
  • Crusader Kings II: Charlemagne
  • Crusader Kings II: Legacy of Rome
  • Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods
  • Crusader Kings II: Rajas of India
  • Crusader Kings II: The Republic
  • Crusader Kings II: Sons of Abraham
  • Crusader Kings II: Sunset Invasion
  • Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam
  • Europa Universalis III
  • Europa Universalis III Complete
  • Europa Universalis III Complete
  • Europa Universalis III Complete
  • Crusader Kings II
  • Rome Gold
  • 500k Club
  • Cities: Skylines
  • Europa Universalis III: Collection
  • Crusader Kings II: Way of Life
  • Crusader Kings II: Horse Lords
  • Cities: Skylines - After Dark
  • Crusader Kings II: Conclave
  • Cities: Skylines - Snowfall
  • Stellaris
Disclaimers:

I have only owned CKII and SOI for a short time. If you are looking for elegant, knowledgeable game play – this is not the AAR for you. I will be fumbling and bumbling my way along as I tell my tale. I have no idea of I can pull this off, but I bought SOI just so I could give this a try - so I am motivated.

This is meant to be a fiction within a fiction. Any resemblance to or accurate depiction of anything that happened in history will be by happy accident. This is meant to by a dark comedy of sorts, trying to merge many different fictions together with the game as the glue.

I will engage in what ever means necessary to tell the story as I envision it, allowing things that happen in the game to alter this so long as they don’t ruin it from my point of view. If you see outrageous stats or other items, then remember that there are otherworldly forces impacting the “reality” of what is going on in the game. So just deal with it.

The main character is possessed and hears voices. Readers are most welcome to be some of those voices and I will try to incorporate what is possible into the story.

Preamble:

The dark oak door reverberates, rattling against the latch as the knocking continues another moment and then the latch is turned and the door swings inward..

“What is it?”, says Professor Laban Shrewsbury, looking up from the book he had been reading.

“Professor, I think you need to see this.”, answers Stephen, his head assistant.

Shrewsbury looks carefully at his assistant, notices the urgency apparent on his face and considers. Young Stephen Blackadder is a credit to his family. While most of the Blackadders have come to one untidy end or another, Stephen was a scholars’s scholar and showed none of the conceited self-promotion that ran in the Blackadder line, and most strongly in his father the His grace Edmund Blackadder, the Earl of Northumbria.

With a sigh, Shrewsbury closes the book, an autobiography of one of the sometimes companions of Allan Quartermain, entitled “I win, Zulus” taking care to put a marker in to hold his place. There were clues in the text to the location of a hidden temple that was of interest to the professor and his fellows.

“What is it you think you have found, eh my boy?” he said as he leaned back in his chair, looked out the darkening window across the great quadrangle of Miskatonic University, and composed himself to listen.

 
And so it was that Professor Shrewsbury learned that an ancient codex recently received by the university from agents in Damascus had been the focus of Stephen’s labors for the past few days and that the contents were nothing less that than a journal of sorts written by Abd Al-Hazred, “The Mad Arab”, author of the book “al-Azif” more commonly known as the “Necronomicon”. As soon as Stephen was certain of his translations, he had hastened to Shrewsbury, knowing that the professor would have wanted to know at once.

“Are those the initial translations you have with you?” Shrewsbury asked.

“Yes, professor, the text itself is almost diabolically dense. These many pages all are from one page of Al-Hazred’s journal. It appears the he wrote it himself.”

“Yes. That makes sense. There would certainly be things that he could not tell to another. Perhaps this will reveal to us why he wrote that accursed book,” the professor stole a shuddering glance at the locked and barred case that contained the University’s only and known to be imperfect copy of the Necronomicon, “and perhaps we might learn where a complete copy may be found.”

“Continue with your translation, Stephen. Tell no one else. Take all of the usually precautions and watch that you keep all the lights burning.”

Stephen stops and turns slightly back into the room as the professor calls out again, “Lock the doors Stephen – you know what has happened before to any that having dealings with The Book and its author. Bring me what you have as you translate it.”

“Yes, professor.”

“And, once again excellent work.”, and Stephen closes the door, cutting off the sound of the professor’s voice.

The professor places the papers on his desk, moves to each window in turn and draws the curtains shut. Moving to the door he turns the lock, removes and pockets the key. Then returning to his desk, he turns up the gas lamps to full, settles himself in his chair and begins to read…
 
There was a short paragraph, apparently added later (according to a notation made by Stephen), which detailed how Abd’s father, Haidar, a man who thought himself something of a mystic and sorcerer, had obtained from a Djinn a special powder that when added to food would enable and enhance the ability of the one who eats the food with the abilities to see and summon mighty servants from other realities.

At first the Djinn’s words seemed to be true, and Haidar’s power and influence grew and his power waxed. But there was something odd about Abd. He seemed to watch his father with growing intensity and was always to be found hanging around when his father was conversing with the spirits.

Then Abd began to speak with the shadows on his own… and they responded. From that moment forward, the power of his father began dwindling and the voices and shadows responded less and less to him. As a result, he began to add more and more of the powder to his food, even having it baked into his bread.

In the very early hours the fateful day that was Haidar’s last, a loud and terrifying screaming was heard coming out of the bakery. Haidar’s servants roused him as the head baker was repeated calling out for the Caliph. Arriving at the bakery, with an unnoticed Abd at his heels, Haidar hurried into the open door. There was more shouting, a cry that sounded something like “a great eye in the yeast”, followed by more screams that seemed to be choked off. They servants fled and, after some minutes of utter silence, young Abd fled the bakery with something loaf-like tucked under one arm.

It was later that same day that the terrible storm came that wiped out the rest of Abd’s family.

****


I, Abd Al-Hazred, servant of the Whispering Darkeness, myself do set myself to the task of recording these my thoughts, no other person being able to understand or being trustworthy to know what I know, see that I see and hear what I hear.

It has only been a few months since I first awoke in the ruins of my bed chamber, crawling out from the silks and shattered stones to find that most of the palace in which I and my family slept was destroyed.

I remembered nothing of the storm of which the servants still speak in terrified whispers. The storm that seemed to cover the city, but was most ferocious over the palace itself. Of the voices that seemed to be part of the storm, moaning and winding their way into every chamber. Of the screams from the members of my family and the servants as they perished. Oddly, the servants all seem to claim that the scream preceded the collapse of the roof and walls wherein my family and I slept. Strangly, all of the servants remain loyal to me - a result of the tutelage in the arts of persuasion granted to me.

Only I and my trusted man-servant Ayman, living up to the meaning of his name, survived the destruction and now I am alone, but for my wife who was on her way to the city the night the storm struck.

ck2_7small28.gif


ck2_5small26.gif


But I do not grieve, for I had surpassed them all in wisdom and power. They were all of a lesser kind and did not have the talent for understanding the new realities that have been revealed to me…

And so I begin this record of my achievements with an initial survey of my holdings and influence. The voices in the shadows, then emissaries of he who sleeps in R'lyeh, have commanded that I use my position and influence to increase our influence.


For now, this is what I have to work with:

My Lands:

ck2_4small25.gif



I had to make a decision between two decidedly ugly holy men for my council, so I chose the one who was a vassal to keep my eye on the one who would be fighting me for the minds and souls of the people:

ck2_8small29-1.gif


ck2_9small30-1.gif


And, with this decision made, I found that I was indeed favored by the fates with most of my council:\

My Grand Vizier is the perfect tool. His mind is so malleable that I can easily sway him to do what I need to have done.

ck2_10small2.gif


Due to the pressures of the needs and desires of the people, and to keep up the appearance of good and faithful service, I reconcile myself to a going on Hajj.

ck2_20small13.gif


During my preparations, the Sultan sees fit to raise and send all of my forces to fight the infidels.

ck2_2small12.gif


But first I decide to secure the services of two additional wives, to help me along the journey.


ck2_18small10.gif


My first wife, although I will miss her, I have appointed as my regent until I return.

ck2_21small14-1.gif



The Journey, and my efforts to bring the world back to its rightful place of submission to the Old Ones, is almost over before it has begun. Our ship is wrecked in a horrible storm. These efforts by the lesser gods are not sufficient to hinder my progress, although food is initially in short supply. But, I share of what we have brought along as I am always a river to my people....

ck2_23small16.gif




While on the journey, we meet and old mystic disguised as an elderly beggar and I listen both to what he says and to what is hidden:

ck2_29small22.gif
 
Any suggestions are welcome.

Any requests for why you would like to see?

I already have on my list to crop images as I have time.
 
@Leviathan07 - no mods, no special events (although if someone wants to help me craft some I would do so, just vanilla CKII SOI at the moment. Thanks for following.

@von Todkopf - Thanks for following

I have played a few more years and so far the normal events are not providing the opportunities I might have hoped for. I need to possibly re-think my approach. I am now gong away for 2 weeks holiday so the next installment won't be until after August 6th.

Regards,

Sgian Dubh
 
Wow. Is Al-Hazred a historical figure, or did PI just create it out of pure awesomeness?

In either event, as I've been mulling over SOI and it's Lovecraftian (in some respects), I'm subbed.
 
Wow. Is Al-Hazred a historical figure, or did PI just create it out of pure awesomeness?

In either event, as I've been mulling over SOI and it's Lovecraftian (in some respects), I'm subbed.

I used Ruler Desgner
 
Hi all,

Sorry for lack of update. I have played 3-4 more years and am in the process of editing screenshots, etc.

But I currently have a problem that I can't figure out how to resolve.

One of my vassals revolted. I raised levies and crushed him, but each time the siege is successful another one immediately starts and so I can never sure for peace and imprison him. I don't want to offer white piece.

Any advice?
 
Hi all,

Sorry for lack of update. I have played 3-4 more years and am in the process of editing screenshots, etc.

But I currently have a problem that I can't figure out how to resolve.

One of my vassals revolted. I raised levies and crushed him, but each time the siege is successful another one immediately starts and so I can never sure for peace and imprison him. I don't want to offer white piece.

Any advice?
What do you mean, "each time the siege is successful another one immediately starts"?
Do you mean, when you march your troops into his province, you win the siege, but you lose the control again? That would indeed sound odd.

Or do you mean, when you win the siege in the revel's province, it does not give you 100% war score, and your army commences a second siege in the same province?
If so, then this is normal in CK2. :) It's not like EU3: There is more than one holding in a province, and you need to siege them all (or at least enough of them to give you the war score you need). Just leave your army where it is, until all the sieges are done.
 
What do you mean, "each time the siege is successful another one immediately starts"?
Do you mean, when you march your troops into his province, you win the siege, but you lose the control again? That would indeed sound odd.

Or do you mean, when you win the siege in the revel's province, it does not give you 100% war score, and your army commences a second siege in the same province?
If so, then this is normal in CK2. :) It's not like EU3: There is more than one holding in a province, and you need to siege them all (or at least enough of them to give you the war score you need). Just leave your army where it is, until all the sieges are done.

Ah. The latter explains it. I was really puzzled.

Thanks,

I want to fishin this up and see if I can put it into the next installment.